The Harlem preacher running for the seat held by Rep. Charles Rangel talked up the fantastic claim that AIDS was concocted to destroy black people in an interview six years ago.

The Rev. Michael Walrond spoke about the AIDS conspiracy with The Economist in 2008.

He was asked about accusations advanced by President Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, that “the government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color.” The article says Walrond called Wright’s theory “credible.”

Walrond, now running for Congress, insisted that’s not his view today.

“The article takes a long conversation that Mike had on a complex subject and editorializes it into a couple of sound bites. It doesn’t represent Mike’s views at all,” said Walrond campaign manager Linara Davidson.

“The fact of the matter — and the reason Mike was interviewed for the article — is that Mike has dedicated his life to providing assistance and finding solutions that help marginalized communities.”